We're Only Human
by Summer Rising
Summary: Sakura has worked hard to prevent her emotions from interfering with her work as a medic, but shinobi are only human. She's not the only one who can't let go of her feelings. There will be SPOILERS, so make sure you're caught up. Rated for violent imagery.
1. Promises

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any associated products.

Welcome to the first installment of We're Only Human. Normally I'm not a huge Sakura fan, but when inspiration strikes I have no choice but to obey. I hope you enjoy, and please review!

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_We shinobi may spend years in harsh training to strengthen our muscles, quicken our reactions, utilize our movements, increase our speed, and sharpen our minds, but in the end, we still bleed red like everyone else._

Haruno Sakura was no stranger to blood, being the apprentice of the most renowned medical ninja in the world. Nor did the more shocking scenes of splintered bones, punctured lungs, exploding intestines, or even decapitation disturb her. The medic knew how to turn her stomach to steel heart to ice when tending her patients, keeping her logical mind clear of unnecessary distraction.

The life of a shinobi was full of perils and hospital trips. Sakura's unusually high level of chakra control, sharp mind, and drive to succeed in everything she did made her the ideal candidate to learn medical ninjutsu, but her soft heart was a constant challenge. For years she had worked to shut down her emotions when she administered treatment. When the situation truly called for tears, she saved them until after a procedure was complete, knowing even the more dire cases might have a chance of life if she acted quickly enough.

Sakura had treated infants and ancients, and every age in between. She treated bumps and scratches, and internal bleeding. She treated civilians and shinobi, accidents and assassination attempts. In the field, she could kill as efficiently as she healed. She prided herself on her growth, on the fact that nothing could faze her until it was over.

Yet now she stood with the fluorescent light of the hospital ER beating down on her, feeling as though she was once again the green genin she had been at twelve years old.

"Both of them?" she asked in a whisper as she looked up from the clipboard.

Tsunade nodded curtly. "They're being transported here as we speak, as fast as possible. Their condition is grim." She paused. "I know this will be difficult for you, but I need my best on them. I don't imagine I need to explain why."

The older woman put her arm on the pink-haired kunoichi's shoulder. "I know shinobi are not really emotionless," she told the younger woman. "I don't expect you not to hurt. I know when they arrive you will. If that hurt drives you to work harder, do it. But don't let it overpower you."

Sakura swallowed and nodded. "I'll do my best."

"I know you will," the Hokage agreed.

At that moment the hospital doors swung open, and Nara Shikamaru rushed forward, carrying a limp form across his back. He looked at Sakura meaningfully before tenderly placing the body on the prepared stretcher. Immediately behind him was Akimichi Choji, who was carrying his charge bridal style. With equal care he placed the body down on the second stretcher. The two shinobi stepped back to let the medics address the situation.

Sakura didn't want to look, but knew she had to. Lying before her were her old teammates. Holding back hot tears, she assessed the situation.

Uzumaki Naruto was covered in cuts and bruises, his clothing ripped to shreds. His right arm was clearly broken, his left shin shattered. The most notable injury was the gaping hole in his abdomen where the kyuubi's seal should have been, out of which fresh blood was flowing. That was both good and bad – the flow of the liquid meant his heart was still beating, but if she couldn't stop the bleeding it wouldn't beat much longer. His breathing was shallow but obvious, giving her hope that she might still have enough time to save her blond-haired friend.

Uchiha Sasuke, by contrast, was unscathed but for one incredible wound on his chest. Looking it over, there was no question in Sakura's mind that the wound had been inflicted by Naruto's rasengan. Sasuke's breathing was so faint his body appeared to be unmoving, and had they been in the field she would have left his treatment for last, assuming he was impossible to save. Yet the wound was on the right side, opposite his heart, so there was still a small sliver of a chance he may survive. That chance, Sakura knew, rested on Tsunade's incredible skill and pure luck.

"He always said he would die if he couldn't bring Sasuke back to Konoha," Sakura said to no one in particular. Her voice was thick with emotion, but she was already moving to work as she spoke. She knew even with her training under Tsunade she still didn't have the skill to heal a wound like Sasuke, but with Naruto, she stood a chance. "Bring him to an OR!" she shouted at the nurses as Tsunade herself wheeled the Uchiha boy away. Sakura closed her eyes for a bit longer than a normal blink, willing herself to forget the way Sasuke's hair fell across his eyes. Unconscious, the deadly, hate-filled ninja looked peaceful. But she didn't have time to think about that now.

She turned to her own charge, gently touching his cheek. "You shouldn't have done it alone," she said softly. "But since you did, I'll do everything I can to save you now!"

Urgently, Sakura directed the nurses and lower medical ninja to hook Naruto up to oxygen and a heart monitor. She was relieved and surprised to see how strong his heartbeat was.

"Is that the kyuubi inside you?" she asked the unconscious ninja. Her hands began to glow as she began the healing process. Normally she would clear her mind at this time, but instead, she found herself remembering her time with the two boys, back when life was happier.

All the girls loved Uchiha Sasuke, but none so much as she did. Being placed on his team had been the best moment of her young life. Being on the same team as Uzumaki Naruto, however, had been nothing short of a nuisance.

"Troublesome, as Shikamaru would say," she said out loud.

One of her underlings looked at her confused. "What, Sakura-sama?"

Sakura shook her head and scolded herself for losing focus at such a crucial time. "Nothing. I need everyone to use as much chakra as you can handle. We need to close this wound now!"

Amazingly though, the wound was closing _itself_. "The kyuubi chakra is accelerating the healing process," Sakura announced. "Don't attempt to disrupt its flow."

"But Sakura-sama, this wound is where the seal belongs. What if the kyuubi is trying to escape?" a chunnin asked. "Wouldn't it be better to focus our energy on suppressing the chakra?"

Sakura stared at the younger medic, dumbfounded. "Are you asking me to expend valuable chakra on suppressing the kyuubi, chakra that could be used to heal the wound faster?"

The girl nodded slowly.

"Do you have worms for eyes?!" Sakura exploded. The medic looked startled.

"Do you see who's on the table in front of you? Do you know what he's done for this village – for you?" She turned to the rest of the people in the room, her hands still steadily administering chakra. "This is Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage!" She had never referred to him as such before, but the words came out of her mouth before she realized it. "Naruto has saved this village and your lives MULTIPLE times. He's put his life on the line for this village more times than I can count. He's made impossible promises, then attempted to keep every single one, at risk to his own life!" She saw that the chuunin was looking properly ashamed.

"I'm sorry Sakura-sama, I didn't mean to imply –"

"Shut up, I'm not finished," Sakura continued. "Naruto has had the kyuubi sealed inside him since the day he was born. Over the years, he's learned to fight not just using kyuubi chakra, but actually work with the kyuubi itself!" She paused for air. "Even if the kyuubi could escape, it wouldn't just let Naruto die. Now focus on healing this wound, and don't you dare try to mess with that chakra. Does everyone understand?" She gave her best glare, daring anyone to object.

"We understand, Sakura-sama," they said in unison.

"Good." She turned back to face her friend, noting that the heart monitor was beating faster and more erratically. "Naruto, don't you dare die on me. Not for him."

Sakura knew the pressure in her chest had nothing to do with the exertion of controlling her chakra. Her mind wandered to the other shinobi in critical condition. Her muscles tensed and she was overcome by a wave of complex emotion. Though Sasuke had tried to kill her, and she had attempted to take his life, she couldn't let go of her attachment to the boy he had been. When Sasuke had killed others, a small part of her still forgave him, reasoning that those people, such as Danzo, had deserved to die. But Naruto…

The heart monitor continued beeping faster. "Dammit Naruto!" she said in frustration. She paused to carefully examine the wound again, and saw that somehow, the organs were still in tact. "That's impossible," she gasped. Even with her level of skill, damage to vital organs was incredibly difficult to heal in a short amount of time. There was no way the she or the rest of the medics had healed them so efficiently. She turned to look at the EKG and realized that though his heart was beating quickly, it had fallen into a constant pattern.

"Kyuubi," she said in awe. "Okay everyone, the organs appear to be healed. Now we need to clean out the blood to make sure there isn't additional damage we can't see." She was fairly certain there wasn't.

The medics scuttled around and Sakura took a moment to collect herself. The damage had been incredible, yet the power of the kyuubi was even more so. Still, the ease of the case made her uncomfortable. The wound, almost certainly created by Sasuke's chidori, should have completely punctured Naruto's body. Even if the kyuubi had speeded the healing process, there was no way Naruto's body could have recovered so quickly, if at all. The angle of the wound also didn't account for the shallow damage – it was a straight shot, meaning it had been a direct hit.

Comprehension dawned on her. "Naruto!" she said to him, knowing he was still in no state to hear her. "Sasuke knew it wouldn't be a killing blow."


	2. Searching

Sakura bit her lip as she focused on healing Naruto's broken bones. Luckily this was a relatively basic skill, because her head was swimming. "Naruto, he had to know the blow lacked its usual power," she spoke to him even though he wouldn't answer. She had dismissed the rest of the team from the room once his life was out of danger, preferring to confer with her unconscious teammate in private. "But what does it mean?"

Sakura was no fool – as much as she once loved Sasuke, she wasn't about to assume he'd had a major change of heart. It was possible that Naruto had simply exhausted the Uchiha's chakra supply before Sasuke made the deciding blow. Still, there was no way a ninja of Sasuke's caliber would have failed to realize his chakra supply was too low to complete his trademark jutsu. Sakura was also contemplating Sasuke's choice of justu, knowing his sharingan had been fully developed and he had a wealth of terrifying techniques to choose from.

"Sakura." She turned to see Shikamaru leaning again the doorway.

"Come in, Shikamaru," she said. "The worst is over."

The chuunin sighed audibly. "I wasn't sure how bad it was," he said. Shikamaru had always been a friend to Naruto, albeit grudgingly when they were children. "Chouji and I were going to back him up, but you know Naruto, always rushing into things…"

He walked over and looked down at his friend. Naruto's breathing had returned to normal and Sakura would shortly call in for assistance transporting him to a regular bed. "Their combined power was incredible. I went through a million scenarios and still don't know how we could have could have stepped in."

"You did everything you could, Shikamaru," Sakura said, knowing his words were a veiled admission of guilt, even though he deserved none. She smiled tenderly at Naruto as she bandaged his wounds. "He wouldn't have wanted you, or anyone else to get in the middle of it."

"Shikamaru," she started. "Did you get a chance to see them before…you know…?"

He shook his head. "We got there just as they collided. Between rasengan and chidori, the chakra was blinding." He cocked his head. "Why?"

"It's just…" She knew she could trust the shadow ninja, but she didn't want to create false hope for herself, or for Naruto. "It's just that the blow that wounded Naruto couldn't possibly have been at Sasuke's full power, and Sasuke would have known that. Yet based on the angle and placement of the wound, it was a direct hit."

"Really?" Shikamaru raised his eyebrows. "Well maybe Sasuke had exhausted his chakra supply."

"That's what I thought," she said glumly. "And the fact that Sasuke had just one wound suggests that he used susanoo, which supports that theory."

Shikamaru pursed his lips thoughtfully. "No…" he said slowly. "No, Chouji and I definitely didn't see his use that. That technique creates a huge presence, easily detected over long distances. Based on what I know, it's also unlikely that he used amaterasu, though it is possible he could have extinguished the flames before we arrived. Of course if he had, that means he would have extinguished them before Naruto make his decisive blow, which Chouji and I are certain was made at the same time as Sasuke's – if Sasuke was knocked unconscious the flames would have burned everything to the ground. And it wouldn't make sense for him to extinguish the flames without his victory guaranteed."

Sakura nodded, grateful for Shikamaru's observant nature and brilliant mind. She knew he would appreciate the weight of her next question. "Then why did he choose to use chidori?"

Shikamaru frowned, then squatted and moved to his hands to his signature thinking position. After a few moments he rose. "It's possible he had exhausted his chakra supply earlier, either in a previous battle or some kind of training.

"However, Naruto was able to find him based on intel that Sasuke was moving towards Konoha. If Sasuke was coming to attack Konoha, as we originally suspected, he wouldn't unnecessarily deplete his chakra supply, so training is unlikely. While it's possible he did encounter an enemy along the way, an opponent with a level of skill high enough to trouble a full-fledged Uchiha bloodline limit wouldn't have gone down easily, and evidence of a battle should be obvious. Chouji and I can go check that out immediately." He headed for the door.

"And if there is no evidence of a battle?"

Shikamaru turned back to face her. "If that's the case, then Uchiha Sasuke did not fight Naruto at his full strength."

"And what does that mean?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I don't know. The only one who knows is Sasuke, and he might not live long enough to tell us." He sighed again, this time sadly. "Sakura, I know you can control your emotions, but please, don't get his hopes up." He nodded in Naruto's direction. "The strength of Sasuke's attack and the reasons behind it...neither one changes anything." With that, he left.

Sakura knew the words came from a good place, but she couldn't help being annoyed with the cynical shinobi. "Naruto," she said to her sleeping charge. "Do you know something?"

She looked over her heavily bandaged friend and suddenly felt fiercely protective. "He's right. You've been through so much. What should I do?" She moved closer and took his hand. "Should I tell you, or would it just make you hurt even more than you have?"

Her green eyes started to tear up again, and she wiped them hurriedly. "Why am I always such a weepy child?" In battle, she knew she would always be behind her teammates, so she had striven to become strong of heart and mind instead. But in spite of that, all her emotions came tumbling out of her heart, and she began to sob.

"Naruto," she said. "You've saved my life so many times." While Sakura had arguably saved Naruto's life with her medical jutsu, she didn't consider it the same as his jumping into battle for her. "And you're still trying to save Sasuke's. But is there any point?"

Wiping more tears from her face, she stood and called for a nurse.

"Yes, Sakura-sama?" a young man responded to her call.

"Take Naruto to a private room and start him on a morphine drip –he'll need it. No one is to see him until I've spoken to Tsunade-sama and you receive further direction. Understand?"

"Of course." He bowed and wheeled the shinobi out.

Sakura glanced around the room and decided she would send someone else to clean the mess. She had to see if her old love was still alive.


	3. A Missing Truth

"A coma?" Sakura wasn't sure how to react to the news. A part of her heart had hoped Sasuke would die from his wound, relieving Naruto of his self-inflicted burdens. Another part of her had prayed for his life, still desperately clinging to her earlier memories of the Uchiha prodigy. Regardless, either outcome came with its own set of painful problems.

The Fifth Hokage nodded grimly. "It's too soon to know if he'll live through the night. If it does, there are no promises he'll wake up.

"Tsunade-sama…could I…"

"You may see him once I've made the appropriate security preparations, and once you've filed a formal report on the condition of Uzumaki Naruto," the older woman told her. "Though I'm sure you wouldn't be here if the boy's life was still in danger."

"Yes, of course," Sakura said.

A few hours later, she sat next to an unconscious Uchiha Sasuke. It wasn't the first time she'd found herself in the position, though it was the first time the Uchiha's limbs had been chained to the bed and ANBU guarded the room both inside and out. Sakura knew these were only precautions, as it was unlikely the Uchiha would wake from his coma anytime soon.

"Sasuke-kun…" Again, Sakura was struck by how deceptively peaceful the boy looked. "So much has happened…"

Even with him unconscious, Sakura had a hard time speaking. She vividly remembered the coldness of his eyes and the cruelty of his words the last time she had seen him, and even if she didn't, the image of Naruto lying unconscious on the gurney was enough to remind her. She also hadn't forgotten Uzumaki Karin, the girl he left to die after she had outlived her usefulness to him.

She sighed. "I've never understood you at all," she said. "Even when we were kids, Naruto was the one you got along with best."

It hurt her to remember the constant rejections, how she tried so hard to gain his attention only to be outshined by her loudmouth teammate. Now that she was older and knew Naruto's secrets and feelings, she scarcely blamed him, but at the time his interference had irked her to no end. She had often wished she could lock the blond boy in a closet somewhere so she could have Sasuke to herself.

Everything had changed the night when Sasuke left. She would never forget the feeling of his breath on her neck as he thanked her for some unknown reason before he knocked her out and left the village behind. Nor would she forget the look on Naruto's face when she went to him and begged for him to bring Sasuke back. Those memories shamed her now, knowing the pain Naruto had been experiencing over the loss had been far worse than she could even imagine. She was quite sure if she had felt as strongly as Naruto, her heart would have burst.

"Sasuke-kun, you've hurt Naruto so deeply," she said sadly. "But if there was any way to have you back, he'd take you in a heartbeat." She got up and stood over him. "You knew that and you still wouldn't come home." She twisted a strand of hair around her finger. She had given up talking to Sasuke a long time ago, and it was doubtful he could hear her, but she continued anyway.

"Naruto could understand you better than anyone," she told him. "Even after everything you've done. He would welcome you back, if you would come, and he would never rest until Konoha pardoned you for your crimes." She leaned over him, so her face was inches from him. "You knew that too. Is that why you came home?"

A sudden twitch of Sasuke's eyelid caused Sakura to jump back in alarm, but the monitors showed no change in his status and he didn't move again. Tentatively, she moved closer again. "Can you hear me Sasuke?" She raised her force. "Naruto…he would forgive you for all of it, every bit of it." Her lower lip began to tremble. "I thought I would be able to forgive you…but…"

The image of Naruto's wound and the glow of the strange red chakra flashed into her head.

"But I just can't. Not yet. Not now."

A spasm of misery overcame her and she had to get out of that room. She banged open the door, smacking one of the stoic ANBU guards with it unintentionally. She was so distraught that she rushed down the hall without apologizing.

"Sakura!" She stopped just short of Tsunade. "What's going on? Has Sasuke's status changed?"

"No," Sakura gasped, out of breath from her flight. "No, I just…" She didn't know how to explain, and was ashamed of showing her master such a disgraceful display.

"Sakura," the Hokage said gently. "Shikamaru told me about Naruto's shallow wound."

Sakura knew that meant Shikamaru had told her everything else as well, and she wasn't sure whether to be angry or grateful for his meddling.

"Sakura," the Hokage said again. "Even if Sasuke was coming home, his crimes are serious. If he wakes up, he has a lot to answer for."

"I know." Sakura said emphatically. "I know, and he deserves it. but…Naruto…"

"Naruto is just one person in this whole village. While I'm not insensitive to his feelings, you can't expect me to just welcome Sasuke back into the village based on the whim of a teenager. The punishment for defection _alone_ is death."

"I know," Sakura said again, staring at the floor.

"However…" Tsunade drew the word out slowly.

Sakura looked up at her sharply.

"However," the Hokage continued. "Uchiha Sasuke is a brilliantly talented ninja. His skills, and of course his bloodline limit, would be a major asset to Konoha. If it could somehow be proved that Sasuke was returning to Konoha to come _home, _then it's possible his punishment could be lessened."

"Why are you saying this?" Sakura asked tersely.

"Sakura," Tsunade said. "You and I both know the whole tragedy of Uchiha. If there's a truth out there we're missing, we must find it." The woman crossed her arms and betrayed a hint of a smile.

"As your Hokage, I hereby command you to begin searching for any intelligence on Uchiha Sasuke that we may be missing, from the time he left Konoha onward. You may request assistance from any of the following leaf shinobi. Hatake Kakashi. Aburame Shino. Akimichi Chouji. Hyuga Hinata. Hyuga Neji. Inuzuka Kiba. Nara Shikamaru. Rock Lee. Tenten. Yamanaka Ino. Under no circumstances are you to reveal your purposes to anyone else, particularly Uzumaki Naruto. Any questions?"

"No ma'am." Sakura said, knowing exactly who she would go to first.

"Good." Tsunade smiled more obviously this time. "You have that determined look in your eye, like the day you asked me to make you my apprentice. Make me proud."


	4. What No One Knew

A/N: An overdue shoutout to **The Keeper of Worlds** and **raidersfan777. **Thank you for your positive reviews and encouragement. Also thank you to everyone who read and followed or favorited. I know there are a ton of Naruto stories out there and I'm so glad you picked mine. This next chapter is a bit of characterization and explanative filler because I hate loose ends, but I promise the plot will progress faster as the story goes on. Thanks again!

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"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura shouted when she spotted him, running toward the older shinobi and waving. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Hm?" Hatake Kakashi leaned back on his stool at the Ichiraku ramen stand to get a better look at his former student. He had a warm relationship with the kunoichi, but she rarely greeted him with such enthusiasm. Every time he saw her, he was struck by how mature and strong Sakura had become. A true shinobi, she was able to shut down her heart to the outside world and literally become a tool for Konoha Hospital. Naruto had always been free (and loud) with his emotions, but it seemed ironic that the once easily excitable female student had become the most composed and resilient of team seven.

Still, Kakashi was one of the few who knew that Sakura's exterior shell was a shallow piece of the girl, and that deep down, every seemingly logical decision she made was driven by powerful emotion.

"Sensei…" Sakura said. "Why haven't you been to the hospital yet?"

Her blunt question and hurt eyes made Kakashi ashamed. The Hokage had quickly ruled the battle between Naruto and Sasuke remain secret, but few things were kept from the silver-haired jounin, as Sakura well knew. He had technically visited Naruto, watching his former student sleep peacefully through a window, but he hadn't laid eyes on Sasuke. The truth was he was holding off visiting his students, simply because he didn't know how to help them at this impasse.

"Well, I was on my way when a black cat crossed my path…" he said, trying to dissipate some of the gloom surrounding him. He was pleased to see his answer earned a small smile from the kunoichi.

"You never change," she admonished him. "I have something important to tell you."

"Let's talk somewhere else," Kakashi said, rising gracefully.

"Yes, let's," Sakura said emphatically, grabbing his wrist. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but the look in her eyes stopped him from commenting. Instead, he let himself be dragged by the younger shinobi across the village, all the way to the training fields.

"Okay Sakura," he finally said, gently pulling away. "What is it you have to tell me?"

Sakura began to explain the situation in a business-like tone. "I don't know how much you've been told, but the facts are as follows." She stared at him meaningfully.

"One. Naruto and Sasuke both fell in battle roughly ten kilometers from the village. Two. The final attacks were almost certainly Naruto's rasengan and Sasuke's chidori. Three. Sasuke's wound revealed that Naruto's rasengan hit with the expected force, creating an expected amount of damage. Four. Naruto's wound revealed that Sasuke's chidori hit with minimal force." She paused for a brief second to catch her breath, then plowed on, knowing her teacher would comprehend quickly.

"Five. It is unlikely Sasuke used susanoo or amaterasu." The subtle movement of Kakashi's eyes was all the signal Sakura needed to know he was piecing together the situation. "Six. Naruto is in stable condition and should wake up within the span of a few hours. Seven. Sasuke is in a comatose state with no indication of whether he'll ever awaken. Eight. The Hokage has instructed me to gather as much intelligence on Sasuke's whereabouts as possible, from the time he left Konoha onward. She said we had to find the truth we're missing."

"I see," Kakashi said. "We have reason to believe Sasuke didn't attack Naruto at his full strength."

"Exactly." Sakura said, relieved the jounin translated the facts as she interpreted them.

Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky pensively. "Sakura, if all this is true, then I think it's best I tell you something. Please forgive me from keeping it from you until now."

"What is it, Kakashi-sensei?" She asked curiously. She hadn't expected him to have more knowledge of the situation than she did.

"There's a lot of truth missing," he said. "Let's start with the truth about Uchiha Itachi."

"About…Itachi?"

"Itachi…" Kakashi exhaled loudly. "You've heard hints and pieces, but the story has never been fully explained to you. I forbid Naruto from explaining. But the truth is this. Uchiha Itachi was ordered by the elder council of Konoha to assassinate the Uchiha clan. The clan was plotting a rebellion. It would have likely resulted in civil war if the Uchiha had been left to their own devices."

Sakura nodded, knowing there must be more.

"Itachi was ordered to slaughter his entire clan to ensure the peace of Konoha. He accepted the mission knowing he would forever be marked as a traitor. More than anything, he desired peace." He paused, weighing his choice of words. Kakashi had never known Itachi well, but he remembered the boy as an admired prodigy even by Uchiha standards.

"Itachi was an honorable shinobi, worthy of the utmost praise. But he made one mistake."

"Which was?" Sakura asked impatiently.

"He couldn't kill his own brother," Kakashi said simply. "He loved Sasuke too much."

Sakura inhaled sharply. "Oh no…" she moaned, the truth hitting her like a ton of bricks. "He was protecting him."

"Exactly. Itachi sought to protect his younger brother both from the violence, and from the truth."

"Sasuke found out too late," she said. "Oh no…oh no…." Tears started to well up in her eyes. "And Danzo?"

"Danzo was the one that pushed the Uchiha massacre plan."

"Of course…" she said. "And Naruto?"

"He discovered the truth some time ago. Itachi actually bequeathed him certain powers in an attempt to protect Konoha."

Sakura ran her hands through her hair, willing herself to stop shaking. "This explains all the details I couldn't make sense of before. Sasuke's lifeless eyes…"

Kakashi remained silent, knowing any attempt to comfort the girl would just set off her held-back tears.

"Poor Sasuke-kun…" she said. "Poor Naruto. Poor Itachi-san…." Suddenly furious, she looked at him and glared, but he knew the anger wasn't directed at him. "Kakashi-sensei! Everyone found out too late what Itachi was thinking. We have to find out what Sasuke is thinking _now_, before it's too late."


	5. What you would Feel

"Nothing!" Sakura threw her hands up in frustration, startling Shikamaru and causing papers to fly everywhere.

"Sakura…you didn't really expect to find your answers in the public archives, did you?" he said to her gently.

"Of course not," she said impatiently. "But it's been a week and we've turned up _nothing, _even with so many of us working all angles."

Shikamaru leaned back, crossed his legs at the ankles, and threw them up on the table lazily. "Sakura, I know you want to find something that paints Sasuke in a better light, but it just might not exist."

"We have to keep looking," she said stubbornly. "We owe it to him."

"We don't owe him anything," Shikamaru snapped, irritated. "We went after Sasuke multiple times. Chouji and Neji almost died for him. His brother died protecting him and the village. Naruto's so fixated on "saving" him that he's ready to fight to the bitter end, but Sasuke doesn't give two shits about any of it." Shikamaru didn't usually curse, but he was particularly annoyed by the pink-haired kunoichi's pig-headed determination to help the traitor ninja.

"What happened to you, anyway?" he asked her. "I thought you went to kill him yourself. He tried to kill you, or have you forgotten? As far as women go, I considered you one of the sharpest. Why are you letting your emotions cloud your judgment?"

Sakura stared at him, completely taken off guard by his harsh honesty.

"….because…." she said. "I love-"

"Yeah yeah, you love Uchiha Sasuke, I get it."

"No!" she shouted vehemently, slamming a fist on the table and cracking it. "That's not what I was going to say."

"Then what were you going to say?" he squinted at her. "Don't lie to yourself."

"I'm not," she said. "I was going to say, it's because I love _Narut_o."

"Oh?" Shikamaru wasn't sure what to say. "What do you mean?"

Sakura didn't respond right away. Instead, she moved to the window and stared outside at the setting sun.

"Not the way I loved Sasuke…" she finally said. "I just can't see him that way. But Naruto…he knew that, and still he was always here, not just for me, but for all of us. Shikamaru, you know how much Sasuke means to him, even now. "

Shikamaru grunted in agreement.

"As soon as he could move, he asked for a wheelchair so he could sit by Sasuke's side. He hasn't left his side, and he doesn't speak, not even to me. " She turned away from the window and back to her friend. "He hardly eats or drinks. Day and night, he just sits next to the bed. Once, I caught him holding Sasuke's hand…." She let her voice trail off. "Naruto knows, even though he hasn't said it. He knows Sasuke didn't attack him full-force, and it makes his pain even worse than it was before."

Her eyes started to tear up, a common occurrence as of late. "If there's something out there, some little thing that can help Sasuke, or at least clear his name, it would mean the world to Naruto."

"Now I get it," Shikamaru said, standing up and putting his hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. "Why didn't you say something sooner? I assumed Naruto was still bedridden, and that's why I hadn't heard his obnoxious voice throughout the hospital halls."

He smiled bitterly. "Silence is out of character for Naruto. He must be in chaos."

She nodded curtly. "Naruto has always shouldered this burden on his own. I don't want him to suffer anymore…I don't want him to suffer like Sasuke suffered when he found out the truth about Itachi. Do you understand, Shikamaru?"

"Of course I do," he said. "And I have an idea. It's unorthodox, and I'm not sure if it will work, but I'm sure Ino will agree to try it out."

"Ino?"

"Of course. Who better to read minds than a member of the Yamanaka clan?"

"Read minds?" Sakura looked at him dumbfounded. "Shikamaru, the ANBU Intel Squad has already tried to read Sasuke's mind. The coma interferes with brainwaves, making it too difficult for even the best interrogator to draw out clear information."

"I know that," he said, looking slightly offended she had underestimated his mind. "We're not going to try to read Sasuke's mind. We're going to try to read Itachi's."

"Itachi's dead…" she said, unable to understand his meaning.

"Right, Itachi's dead. But his will lives on – in _Naruto._"

"In…Naruto?" Sakura cocked her head and looked at him strangely, trying not to be impatient. "Shikamaru, usually you're right on the mark, but that sounds crazy. Please explain?"

"Sorry, sorry," he said. "Remember what Killer Bee told us after the war, about Itachi giving some of Naruto his power? How during battle, a crow came out of Naruto's mouth and broke Kabuto's hold on Itachi?"

She nodded.

"Well, I've done some research on the subject for other missions, and when you transfer power like that, it's next to impossible not to transfer some of your own will, and therefore, your own thoughts. For example, those who have implanted sharingan or byakugan subconsciously retain information from the eye's original owner."

"Really?" Sakura was doubtful. "So you want Ino to root around Naruto's mind to see if she can find subconscious information left behind by Itachi?"

"Precisely. Maybe Itachi's memory will give us some kind of lead."

"It seems far-fetched…" Sakura said. "But anything's worth a try. Maybe she'll find something in Naruto's mind that he's not telling us as well. Let's go find Ino!" She started for the door.

"Sakura," Shikamaru said softly.

"Hm?" She turned back to him.

The chuunin was standing with his hands in his pockets, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry I snapped at you before, about Sasuke. I didn't understand your purpose."

"It's okay, Shikamaru," she said.

He nodded. "I don't give a damn what happens to Sasuke at this point," he said, kicking over an empty wastebasket. "But I'll do whatever I can to help Naruto, the fool that he is."

"He is a fool," Sakura laughed. "But he's our fool."

"Right," he agreed. "But we have to make sure he doesn't know our true purpose. It would only make it worse if we don't find anything in the end."

Sakura glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. She didn't want to think about what Naruto might do if they didn't find something.


	6. Pressed for time

A/N: Apologies it took so long to update - school is my life right now, plain and simple. I hope you enjoy this little tidbit.

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Also, shoutouts to raidersfan777, who has been loyally reviewing for me, butterfly V who offered some interesting suggestions, and whoever forgot their login for the compliments and suggestions. Thanks everyone!

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"I'm not sure I have the skill to pull this off," Ino said hesitantly to Sakura and Shikamaru.

"Don't say that Ino!" Sakura said, grabbing her friend's arm. "We can't trust anyone else."

Shikamaru was calmer. "Ino, no one expects you to work miracles. Just give it a try."

Sakura nodded vigorously. "If nothing else, maybe you'll be able to see what Naruto is thinking."

"Isn't that a bit intrusive?" Ino asked. "Naruto's not the one in a coma…"

"He might as well be," Shikamaru said quietly. "He won't talk to any of us."

"That's why we have to do something," Sakura said, digging her grip deeper into the blonde girl's arm. "You'll be able to find something."

"Sakura!" she exclaimed, pulling her arm away and rubbing it. "That hurts you know."

"Sorry," the medic said. "But this is important, Ino. You want to help Naruto, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Ino said, thinking back to Naruto's actions in the Fourth Shinobi War. "Naruto is a hero to this village – to the whole world!"

"Then what are we arguing about?" Sakura said irritably. "Let's go…I've worked an excuse out if Naruto asks what we're doing."

"I doubt he'll ask," Shikamaru said cynically.

The pink-haired shinobi shot him a glance then walked swiftly out the door. The other two followed quietly.

When she reached the door, Sakura paused and sighed. She wistfully imagined a different scene on the other side of the door – a smiling, loud-mouth Naruto and a smirking Sasuke. Try as she may, she could only imagine the scene with the boys as young genin, not the powerful ninja they'd become.

Shaking off the feeling of nostalgia, she reached for the doorknob. She was shocked when right as she touched it, the door flew open.

"Sakura-chan!" a familiar voice shouted. Her stomach turned not from anxiety but from excitement.

"Naruto?" she said, concerned she might be hallucinating. But her doubts were washed away when the blonde ninja grabbed her and pulled her forcefully into the room.

"Get in here, hurry!" he hissed at Ino and Shikamaru. The two of them looked at each other in confusion and followed into the room, closing the door on the ANBU guard outside.

"Naruto…" Sakura felt tears well up in her eyes yet again. Overwhelmed with emotion, she did the only thing she could think of – whack him upside the head. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I'VE BEEN?" she shouted.

"Ahhh…Sakura-chan, that hurts," he said, rubbing his head characteristically. "There's no time for that."

"Explain yourself, Naruto," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, please explain," Ino echoed.

"Okay, but you can't tell anyone, dattebayo!" He looked at them seriously, then pointed at Sasuke. "He squeezed my hand this morning."

Immediately, Sakura understood why Naruto had reverted back to his exuberant self. "Are you sure?" she asked him.

"I'm sure," he said. "Sakura-chan, does that mean he's waking up?"

"Naruto…" Sakura was afraid an honest answer would send him back into a spiral of despair. "Coma patients often have muscle spasms that seem meaningful. A gentle squeeze doesn't mean anything…"

Naruto shook his head. "It wasn't _gentle_, Sakura-chan," he said. "Look!" He held up his hand, revealing swelled knuckles and fingers. "I think he broke my hand."

She frowned and examined his hand carefully. "That's a surprising display of strength for someone in a coma…." She turned to Shikamaru. "He might be coming out of it."

Shikamaru nodded, then looked to Ino. "Change of plans," he said simply.

She smirked at him. "It doesn't take a genius to come up with a plan for this situation," she said.

He smiled back at her. "You know what to do. The more we know than the rest of the village, the better."

"Ino," Sakura piped up. "You might not like what you find, but…"

"Don't worry," Ino said. "I'll dig up as much as I can."

Naruto squinted at the three of them. "What's going on?" he asked, trying to keep up with the fast pace of his friends' conversation.

Sakura turned back to him. "If Sasuke is starting to come out of the coma, there's a chance Ino might be able to pull information out of his mind."

"If we can get enough information, we might be able to make a case for Sasuke before the village starts formally prosecuting him," Ino added.

"But we have to work quickly, before the ANBU realize what's happening, and definitely before he actually wakes up," Shikamaru finished.

Naruto nodded in understanding. "But we might not find anything."

Sakura breathed in sharply, acutely aware of the tension in the boy's body. "Naruto," she said, putting both her hands on his shoulders. "We won't give up until we know the whole truth."

Her words seemed to reassure him, and he grew resolute. "Right!" He said. He looked down at the sleeping Uchiha. "He looks deceptively peaceful, doesn't he, Sakura-chan?"

She nodded in agreement, smiling sadly as she looked down on the bed.

"Okay, move aside everyone," Ino said, snapping Sakura out of the moment. "I don't know how carefully those guards listen, and I want a head start on these ANBU." She rubbed her hands together nervously. "I'll do my best."

"Wait…" Shikamaru said. "We need to discuss precautions."

"Precautions for what?" Naruto asked.

"For if Sasuke wakes up," he answered. "In this weakened state, I should be able to hold him in a simple shadow imitation jutsu so you guys can run."

"I'm not running," Naruto said stubbornly.

"Yes, you will," Shikamaru said in a tone that brooked no argument. "You're in no condition to fight, and even in a weakened state sharingan are incredibly powerful." His eyes narrowed. "Sasuke left this village by choice, and later vowed to destroy it. Konoha is my home, and I won't take the risk of letting him destroy it. If he wakes up, you all will run, grabbing the attention of the ANBU, who should be able to stop him."

Naruto glared at him, but didn't try to contradict his logic. Sakura bit her lip, but nodded in agreement.

"Okay, the plan is set." She turned to her best friend. "Ino, it's up to you right now."

The blonde nodded emphatically. "Don't worry, I won't let you down."


	7. Reality

A million apologies for taking so long to update, but school took over my life, then my heart broke into a million pieces with Neji's death and I couldn't write a thing the first week of break. Here's a short chapter to assure everyone that I'm still writing - thank you for all the follows and reviews, and a friendly reminder that just because two characters are in the sorting doesn't mean this story has a particular pairing.

Hope you enjoy!

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Sakura felt herself shaking as she watched Ino begin the jutsu. The importance of the next few minutes could not be overstated. She snuck a glance at Naruto, and was reassured by the determined glint in his eyes. Tentatively, she reached out and took his hand.

He turned to her, confused. "Sakura-chan?"

"This is the moment we've both been waiting for," she whispered. "We finally have a chance to know what Sasuke was thinking…"

His lip quivered, then he nodded and turned back to Ino without saying a word.

"Work fast, Ino," Shikamaru urged. "We don't know how much time we have."

"I realize that," she snapped back at him. "I need quiet to concentrate."

Sakura squeezed Naruto's hand as they waited. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then thirty. Finally, Ino rested her hands by her sides.

"It's a muddled mess," she announced. "I got some stuff, but I'm not sure what to make of it."

Sakura and Naruto sighed in unison, unable to hide their disappointment.

"Nothing definitive?" Shikamaru asked.

Ino shook her head. "I saw fragments of Sasuke's memories, and memories that must have been Itachi's as well…" she let her voice trail off. "There was only one memory that was complete and vivid…."

"What was it?" Naruto asked impatiently.

"Well…" Ino glanced meaningfully at Sakura before answering Naruto. "It was your battle at the Valley of the End."

"Our fight? What does that mean?" Naruto grew visibly irritated and dropped Sakura's hand. "All that time and that's all you got?"

Ino looked offended. "It's not all I got, it was just the most vivid thing I saw," she said, crossing her arms. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to draw information out of someone in a coma?"

Naruto opened his mouth to respond, but Shikamaru stepped between the blondes and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I know you're desperate for information, but don't take your frustrations out on Ino," he said softly. "You've been cooped up in here for too long…take a walk with me."

His words seemed to calm his friend, who followed without argument. After they left, Ino turned to her best friend.

"Sakura…." Ino said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I didn't want to say it in front of Naruto, but I know exactly why Sasuke came back to Konoha."

Sakura felt her heart rate increase. She could tell by Ino's expression that the reason was going to be devastating. Instinctively, she crossed her arms across her chest as a protective gesture.

"What do you know, Ino?" she asked her. "Tell me, I can take it."

"Sakura…" Ino began. "Sasuke was recalling that battle because he regrets leaving Naruto alive. I could feel the hostility. He came specifically for Naruto."

"That doesn't make any sense though…" Sakura said, trying to rationalize the information. "Why come now, when he could have come so many times before? And why would he want him dead?"

"Sasuke is still obsessed with Itachi," Ino said. "There was another memory – one of Itachi's. It's easier if you just let me show you…" The girl raised her arms and gently applied pressure to Sakura's temples. Suddenly a young Uchiha Itachi and another shinobi were before her, speaking in hushed tones.

"_I tried using koto-amatsukami to stop the coup d-etat, but Danzo stole my right eye. He does not trust me. He intends to protect the village on his own…by any and all means. Before that happens, let me give it to you."_

"_Shisui…"_

"_You, my best friend, are the only one I can count on. Protect this village…and the Uchiha name."_

Sakura blinked and the images faded. "What does that have to do with Sasuke or Naruto?" she asked her friend, entirely confused.

"That man was Uchiha Shisui, Itachi's best friend," Ino explained. "He sacrificed himself trying to protect Konoha and the Uchiha, just like Itachi did.

"For the past few years, Sasuke has been trying to punish _himself _to atone for killing Itachi. Itachi saw his best friend give up his life, slaughtered his own family, and ultimately died. I don't know how Sasuke got the idea, but he believes that in order to avenge his brother he has to suffer like Itachi suffered, and in order to do that, he intends to kill Naruto, the person he once considered his best friend, and then kill himself."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Sakura cried loudly. "What kind of twisted logic is that?"

"I wouldn't expect a person like you to understand, Sakura," a deep voice said. Sakura felt a chill run down her spine. There was no mistaking that voice. Clinging to Ino, she turned to the hospital bed.

"Sasuke-kun…" her voice trembled. "You're awake." She felt Ino dig her nails into her arm.

"We have to get out of here," Ino hissed into her ear. "We can't fight him, and we can't reason with him."

"Relax, Ino," Sasuke said lazily. "Your analysis was completely accurate. I have no interest in harming you or Sakura." He winced as he attempted to sit up, then decided better of it. He turned and stared at the two girls before him with his dark eyes. Sakura noted that while his expression was cold, it lacked the killing intent she had seen in previous run-ins.

"Sakura," he said in the same lazy voice. "Just one question. Why am I still alive?"


	8. Now it Hurts

Welcome, loyal readers, to the final chapter of this story, (were you expecting it?) which I hope you all enjoy. This is the direction I originally intended on, though I was a little conflicted with it as I wrote. Ultimately I think I like it. I haven't written much fiction lately, and I've really enjoyed coming back to this story. I know my writing is far from perfect, and I really appreciate everyone who read and left reviews.

Anyway, I just want to give a shout out to everyone that read and reviewed, and a heartfelt thanks to everyone who came back to read after my long, unannounced hiatus. I really appreciate the feedback and I hope this ending leaves you satisfied.

Standard disclaimers apply.

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"Ino, you should leave," Sakura said, refusing to take her eyes of Sasuke.

"What? I'm not leaving you here with him!" her friend argued. "He's tried to kill you – he's still trying to kill Naruto!"

"It's okay, Ino," the pink-haired shinobi said, still staring intently at the last living Uchiha. "Sasuke and I have to talk. Besides, he's in no state to fight." She put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'll be fine, I promise."

Ino glared at her. "Sakura, he's not the Sasuke from our childhood."

"Ino…" Sakura turned her green eyes on her friend. "I appreciate your concern, but I want to talk to Sasuke privately."

"Sakura," Ino implored, this time in a gentler tone, "Do you really think you're going to have a rational conversation with him?"

Sakura sighed and smiled sadly at her friend. "This is just something I need to do, Ino. Please let me."

The blonde kunoichi pursed her lips in disapproval, then let her head fall in defeat. "If that's what you really want. But be careful, and don't hesitate to call for help."

"I know."

Sakura watched her friend's back as she left the room. Truthfully, she was terrified of being alone with the deadly ninja on the hospital bed, and not entirely confident that she could in fact restrain him if he tried something. But there were questions she needed the answers to, and more importantly, questions Naruto needed the answers to.

She bit her lip when she thought of her bubbly teammate and all the suffering he had experienced over the years. Sakura knew better than anyone how deeply Sasuke's defection cut Naruto's heart. The two of them spent years searching, only to be harshly rejected every time they found their ex-teammate. Her heart ached as she remembered the tears they'd cried, and the strong face Naruto would then try to put on, for her sake. This time, she would be the strong one for him.

With titanium resolve, she turned to the hospital bed. Inky eyes stared back at her – eyes she once considered beautiful and mysterious. Now they only seemed dark and foreboding.

"Are you going to answer my question?" Sasuke asked calmly. "I'm just curious. I seem to remember you tried to kill me once, and here you had the perfect chance." There was no mocking in his tone, so Sakura could only assume the question was out of genuine curiousity.

"You're alive thanks to Tsunade-sama's incredible skill," she answered simply.

"Okay," Sasuke said, turning away from her in disinterest.

"Sasuke-kun…" she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Is it true you were trying to kill Naruto?"

He continued to stare out the window, opposite her direction. "Naruto told me once that he would bring me back to this village, or die trying. And here I am." He sighed, uncharacteristically sad instead of impatient. "I keep failing."

"Maybe you're not failing," Sakura offered. "Maybe this is fate's way of telling you this is where you belonged all along."

He scoffed angrily. "There you go again, painting pretty little pictures, just like when we were genin." He turned to her, his eyes now full of anger. "You think you can just sit here, spew some pretty words, and make everything better, change my mind." He moved into a sitting position, and even with his chest wrapped in bandages he seemed threatening. "You've always tried to do that Sakura. The world isn't a pretty place. It's a horrible place."

The medic took a few steps back. "Sasuke, I know what happened to Itachi," she said slowly. "I know the truth. But you're not responsible for avenging him, or the Uchiha. Your world doesn't have to be a horrible place….I think you know that. I think that's why you held back when you struck Naruto."

He glared at her. "You disgust me, saying things like that. My brother is dead. My parents are dead. My aunts, uncles, cousins, all the people that made my world pretty, they've been corpses in the ground for years." He was raising his voice now, and his body movements showed an alarming amount of strength. "I won't come home to Konoha, Sakura. I am here for one purpose, and that is to kill my best friend. Once I've done that, I can leave this horrible world! I didn't hold back – the idiot fought so hard I exhausted my chakra!"

"Do you hear yourself?" Sakura shouted back as she nervously searched through her pack for a sedative to give to him. She just got the answer she had been dreading, but at least she heard the truth. "You sound insane! Don't you see that Naruto and I still care for you? Why would you come here to kill someone you still call your best friend?"

"I am an avenger," Sasuke shouted. "It is my purpose, it is my duty."

"Is that your final answer to me?" she asked, tears welling up in her eyes. "Is that still all you can say?" She took a step toward him, her legs like jelly.

"I'll kill Naruto as soon as I can get out of this bed," he growled dangerously. "And if you get in my way, I'll kill you too."

"Fine then," she said, stabbing a syringe into his arm before he realized she had it. "Then this conversation is over, I guess."

She wiped her eyes and watched as his enraged expression changed to surprised, then groggy as the drug took effect. As soon as his head hit the pillow, she knew she had to leave.

Bursting through the door, she ran blindly down the corridor. The familiar layout of the hospital was suddenly confusing and she felt her breathing growing labored. When she found an empty room, she collapsed to her knees, and let grief overtake her.

She heard commotion around, beepers going off and medics scurrying around, shouting about an emergency with one of the patients. Despite urgent cries for assistance, Sakura stayed doubled over on the floor, sobbing hysterically. Her perception of time disappeared but after what seemed like hours the urgent cries for help abated and the hospital seemed eerily quiet. Sakura stayed in the same position on the floor, hands over her ears, but it didn't stop her from hearing a cry of anguish from down the hall.

Suddenly, someone was screaming her name.

"Sakura-chan! SAKURA-CHAN!" She could tell by the sound of Naruto's voice that she should respond, that he needed her, but she couldn't stand to call out to him.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" The blonde ninja burst through the door, no doubt having sensed where she was. "Sakura-chan – it's Sasuke – he's –"

"I know," Sakura sobbed. "I know, I know…" Slowly, she looked up at him. Usually slow on the uptake, Naruto understood immediately when he saw her tear-stained face.

"No," he gasped. "Sakura, it was – "

She covered his mouth with her hand and nodded, a fresh sea of tears erupting from her already red eyes. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry but I did it for you. I did it to protect you."

For a moment, Naruto stared at her like she was a stranger, and Sakura thought she might die right then. But then, roughly, he pulled her into his arms and squeezed her fiercely. She felt his hot tears on her neck, but there was something comforting about the embrace.

"It hurts so bad," he whispered.

"I know," she responded. "But at least you and I will hurt together."

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For anyone who didn't understand(which would make me a failure as a storyteller), Sakura didn't sedate Sasuke, she poisoned him.


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